moths

Utter sadness. I was speechless when I pulled my favorite mittens out of my mitten storage*, put them on and realized that they had become a midsummers snack to some thoughtless moths. I actually thought I might cry! Now I will be scouring the internet on how to darn because I can not let these little babies die. They are about 6 years old and don’t look a day over 1 thanks to the wonderful properties of alpaca. Luckily I have the yarn leftover still saved for an occasion such as this, wish me luck.

* I had moth protection in my mitten storage, but apparently not enough. Will also be working on remedying this.

oh no!!! that's so sad, but that's good news that you have some of the yarn leftover and can do some darning. You can save them, for sure! A sachet or a scrap of fabric with lavender or cedar essential oils on it near your knits will keep them moth-free.

Since you have such small holes, I would recommend just mimicking the way the yarn would normally go with a fresh piece and a darning needle. That way the mend will be less visible. It's sort of like a large area of duplicate stitch. Knitting Daily has a good diagram: http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/howto/archive/2008/05/15/duplicate-stitch.aspxMake sure you cover a few stitches away from the hole all around.

You might also want to put your mitts in a zip top bag for a few days in the freezer. It kills some moth eggs and all carpet beetle eggs, lessening your chances of a repeat

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Hello, I'm Jen, a designer & patternmaker living in Chicago, IL. I publish a line of sewing patterns, post tutorials, tips & tricks, and personal projects. For more info about myself, the patterns, and a few FAQ, click here